This page contains our Co-op Starter Series, past work, presentations, news stories and some other relevant publications.
The Center's Co-op Starter Series is a set of "How-To" articles for
developing co-ops:
General Co-op Info:
Decision Making Processes:
Meeting Mechanics:
Strategic Planning:
Past Work:
- Business Ownership Models: Analysis of four models for the
development of renewable energy from Annual Ryegrass, by Eric Bowman, Maura Schwartz and Martin Desmond, 2008
- Locally-Owned Business Model Comparison; Possible roles for co-ops and LLCs in the emerging woody biomass to energy industry, by Eric Bowman, 2008
- Forest Co-ops as an Ownership Model to Aggregate Biomass, by Eric Bowman, 2008
- Energy, Economic and Environmental Sustainability, by Dr. David Carrier, 2007
- Business Plan for Oregon Woodland Cooperative compiled with the assistance of Teresa Young and Diane Gasaway. 2007
- Butchering and Fabrication Protocol for Cattle, Sheep and Swine for Island Grown Farmer's Co-op by Mary Webb. 2007
- Harvesting NW Bioenergy Cooperatives; Mapping the Route to a Cooperatively-Owned Future for Emerging Bioenergy Industries by Eric Bowman and Ben Guss. 2007
- Nonprofit Center Case Studies by Rachel Williams. 2006
- Feasibility Report for the Olympia Biofuels Co-op; Emerging Opportunities in Rapidly Developing Markets. Financial Projections in Excel [here] by Eric Bowman and Diane Gasaway. 2006
- Feasibility Report for the NW Goat Meat Producers:
Goat Meat Marketing in the Pacific NW,
Opportunities and Challenges by Mary Webb, Laura Aymond and Eric Bowman. 2005
- The Prospects for an Electrical G&T Cooperative Fueled by Straw Produced in Eastern Washington by Ken Duft and Judson Pray, May 2002. WSU's Dept of Ag and Natural Resource Economics [hosted pdf here]
Presentations:
- National American Indian Housing Council in Seattle, WA: Cooperative Housing for Elders
- The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA: The Role of Co-ops in Entrepreneurship and Fair Trade
- Harvesting Clean Energy 8, in Portland, OR: Community Ownership Models; Keeping Local Dollars Local
- WSU's Master Dairy Goat Farmer Program in Friday Harbor, WA: The role of co-ops in dairy production
- Growing Green Enterprise Workshop, in Port Hadlock, WA: Co-ops in Green Enterprise Development
- The Business of Biofuels II in Portland, OR: Balancing economies of scale against value for local communities
- Harvesting Clean Energy 7, in Boise, ID: Owning It Ourselves
- NW Regional Co-op Council Conference in Portland, OR: Elements of Great Co-ops
- Elma Rotary in Elma, WA: Co-ops 101
- Northwest Goat Meat Producers: Marketing Goat Meat in the Pacific Northwest
The Center in the news:
- Credit unions put members first, by Eric Bowman, Oct. 22, 2006. Seattle PI Opinion. [pdf here]
- Northwest Passage; Co-ops could be trail-blazers for emerging bioenergy industries in PNW by Eric Bowman, March 2008. Rural Cooperatives Magazine. [ just article pdf here]
- Energy Development an interview of Eric Bowman by Line On Agriculture's Greg Martin, Feb. 2, 2008 [listen to the mp3 here]
- Co-ops provide options for economic
challenges, by Naomi Klouda, Nov. 21, 2007. Homer Tribune. [pdf here]
- Getting old an expensive prospect; and lack of affordable housing makes it a whole lot worse, by Clara Berridge and Andrew McLeod, Jul. 25, 2007. Seattle PI Opinion. [pdf here]
- Co-ops get creative to connect producers, consumers, by Angela Eckhardt, Mar. 16, 2007. Capital Press Northwest's Ag Weekly. [pdf here]
- Group eyes local natural food co-op, in Fairbanks, AK, by Eric Lidji, Mar. 27, 2007. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. [pdf here]
- Diverse Washington co-ops show business model flexibility from forest to ocean, by Dan Schofer, May 2007. Rural Cooperatives Magazine. [ just article pdf here]
- Increasing reliance on outside corporations puts us at risk, by Andrew McLeod, Dec. 26, 2006. Seattle PI Opinion. [pdf here]
Some USDA documents that are excellent reading to learn more:
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