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Nebraska Farmers Union To Sponsor Rural Cooperative Opportunities Workshop At Southeast Community College In Beatrice

For Immediate Release March 26, 2010

Lincoln, NE. Nebraska Farmers Union will sponsor a Rural Cooperative Opportunities Workshop at Southeast Community College on Monday, April 5^th at the Truman Gym from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is open to the public.

Speakers will include:

Deb Yocum, Rural Energy Coordinator for Nebraska USDA Rural Development, who will focus on the various programs and funding opportunities available for renewable energy from USDA Rural Development
Elaine Cranford, Cooperative Development Specialist for the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center, who will explain cooperative history, structure, and benefits as well as state sources of funding.
Kelsi Swanson, Merchandise Manager for Open Harvest Cooperative Grocery Store, Making the Connection between Food Producers and Food Eaters.
State Senator Norm Wallman will describe efforts in the Legislature the past several years to help farmers and ranchers take advantage of renewable energy based rural economic development opportunities.
Jim Knopik, President and Manager of North Star Neighbors in Fullerton. Jim will describe his direct marketing cooperative experience and also how to participate in the Nebraska Food Coop.
John Hansen, President of Nebraska Farmers Union and Co-Chair of the Nebraska Wind Working Group will detail the various ways that farmers and ranchers can help gain the benefits of wind energy ownership through Community Based Energy Development and Landowner Wind Farm Associations.

Thanks to funding from CHS Foundation, there are no registration fees for the workshop or charge for the noon lunch. The public, especially farmers, ranchers, and individuals working in the rural economic development areas are encouraged to attend. Nebraska Farmers Union has organized over 436 farm and rural cooperatives in Nebraska since 1913.

Nebraska Farmers Union is the state’s second largest and oldest general farm organization representing over 5,300 farm and ranch families and the rural communities they live in. The mission of Nebraska Farmers Union is to improve the economic well being and quality of life of family farmers and ranchers, and the rural communities they live in.

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