Cooperatives: Contributing to the success of our communities
By Kylie Dicket

Editor’s note: Dicket won the FFA speaking contest at the 2006 Missouri Institute of Cooperatives. Here we print the speech she delivered for the contest, and as winner, to the institute’s member banquet.

The smell of hay and gravel dust is thick in the humid Missouri air. It has been a long and tiring day in the fields for area farmers, who have been working non-stop to carefully harvest their entire year’s efforts. You watch as the neighbors make trip after trip with numerous kinds of machinery from the barn to the fields. Then each piece of machinery is carefully returned to its assigned spot in the barn.

You sense that the end of the harvest is coming near. However, there may be a few details that may not cross your mind. Where will all of these meticulously prepared goods end up? How will they get there, and who will enjoy the goods and services produced here in Missouri?

Without knowing all these answers, you may not be aware that Missouri cooperatives are at work to benefit each and every one of us.

A cooperative, as described by Webster’s Dictionary, is an organization jointly owned or managed by those who use its facilities or services.

Yet that definition does not begin to shed enough light on all of the wonderful things that happen every day here in Missouri because of the efforts of Missouri’s many active cooperatives.

Farmers, producers, small businesses and consumers all share in the benefits that are a result of cooperative efforts by our neighbors, farmers and businesses. But it takes a lot of organization and teamwork to gather, process and distribute the goods.

Getting organized and finding the right partners for the right products are time-consuming, costly, and require a great deal of knowledge about the marketplace, the products and the consumers. It is vital to successfully put together the components of a business plan if you hope to succeed in your business.

These endeavors could be in farming, textiles, lumber, mining or any of Missouri’s many products. This is the reason Missouri cooperatives are so important to each and every one of us.

The cooperative method takes all of the components into consideration and puts together plans to use our resources and to market our products in today’s competitive regional, national and even global markets.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association identifies seven guiding principles that cooperatives adhere to as they approach a dilemma and work to find a solution.

First and foremost, a cooperative has voluntary and open membership that allows everyone to participate.

Second, the process is democratic because the membership actively participates in making decisions about how to do business.

Third, the members contribute equitably and allocate surpluses to set up reserves and activities to solve its issues.

The fourth principle, a cooperative is autonomous. It decides which agreements to enter or how to raise capital to best serve its members.

Fifth, cooperatives play a role in providing education, training and information to the membership, employees and the community about the benefits of a cooperative business model.

Sixth, cooperatives work with other cooperatives to strengthen themselves and promote the cooperative method.

Finally, cooperatives work to build communities through their programs and involvement because the members realize that a strong community is part of the larger picture for any business.

Cooperatives aggressively seek to be the catalyst for the collaboration of local farmers and businesses to realize their optimum benefit and profits. By using the cooperative method, the organization can pull together the necessary expertise, patience and knowledge to put together effective production, marketing and distribution for both small and large businesses. They can tap into a wealth of information and resources to build their farms, businesses and lives.

Osage Valley Electric Cooperative is just one cooperative I benefit from at home. Without it, I would have had to sit by a fire or kerosene lantern to hand write my thoughts I am sharing with you today. But fortunately for me, a group of people got together and decided to do something about providing electrical generation, transmission lines and transformers to bring electricity right to my home.

Was it an easy task? I would say not. They had to figure out a million details. Time and effort went into researching how to set up a cooperative and then begin to build it member by member. Expertise and resources were needed to construct the business plan and the physical construction. Then Osage Valley put their plan into action.

Their goal was to provide a quality product in an efficient manner at a reasonable cost. They do this every day by following the cooperative method and involving their members in formulating its plans and product.

The efforts of Missouri cooperatives are not applauded loudly by any of us as we casually stroll through the cluttered grocery aisle or sit down at a scrumptious dinner. We do not think about how hard it was to make that new, hip article of clothing or how the manufacturer knew just the right style and color to produce. We do not wonder about how much it cost to ship or package. We just assume it will be a quality product that is fairly priced.

Therein lies the beauty and grace of Missouri’s cooperatives. They work so well, so effectively, so transparently that we live our lives with everything we need. We do not have to worry about our food supply, our clothing, household items, transportation or anything. It is right here in Missouri!

It is important to share with you the wonderful news of Missouri’s cooperatives. We have a treasure. We must strive to let people know about the awesome work that Missouri cooperatives do for all of us. They are always at work in the background of our everyday lives, putting together people and commodities in both small and large measures all across the bountiful state of Missouri.

Through producing goods, services or even learning and leadership opportunities, co-ops strive to make our communities the best possible places to live and work.

The next time you stop at a store or see a member of a cooperative, be sure to tell them thank you. They have made our lives a much more fulfilling and enjoyable experience. Without their work, we as a society would not be at our personal best. We should all strive to meet their high standards of excellence, service and dedication.