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Governor proclaims October "Kansas Co-op Month"Kansas They're member-owned, and they're committed to the communities they serve. This month, cooperative businesses across the state are being recognized for the contributions they make to their neighbors and local economies. Leslie Kaufman, executive director of the Kansas Cooperative Council, says that Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has signed a proclamation designating October 2007 as Kansas Co-op Month. "The statewide recognition coincides with a national celebration that also marks October as Co-op Month," Kaufman says. According to Kaufman, there are more than 200 cooperatives in the state. These include everything from farm supply and marketing co-ops to credit unions, consumer cooperatives and rural electric and telephone co-ops. "Co-op Month is a great time to remind people of what cooperatives are, and what they stand for," Kaufman says. "The organizational structure of the cooperative business model mutually benefits its owner-members. And its philosophy is based on these seven principles: Voluntary and open membership; democratic member control; member economic participation; autonomy and independence; education, training and information; cooperation among cooperatives; and concern for community." Two recent developments, she says, clearly demonstrate how co-ops show their commitment to community and directly contribute to their economies: --Members of the Kansas Cooperative Council recently pooled their resources to donate nearly $40,000 to a relief and rebuilding fund for the Greensburg, Kan., area which was devastated by an EF-5 tornado this spring. Greensburg is home to Southern Plains Cooperative, a Kansas Cooperative Council member. --An article in the September/October 2007 issue of Rural Cooperatives, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development, Business and Cooperative Programs, reports that farmer cooperatives "remain one of the largest employers in many rural communities across the United States, with overall employment of 181,000." (http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/pub/openmag.htm) To view a copy of the Co-op Month proclamation or to learn more about the Kansas Cooperative Council, visit www.kansasco-op.coop. Date: 11/21/07
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