As 2024 comes to a close, and we look back on all the amazing progress and programming from the OSU Center for Cooperatives, let us reflect on the success of our accomplishments. This has been a great year of collaborations and connections among many cooperative organizations across the region.
We began the year focusing on cooperative frameworks and the importance of building a strong foundation within the business. Knowing the enterprise’s legal structure can be a helpful mechanism for understanding how an enterprise works. For more details check out the following links created by our Center Director:
Key Roles of Members in Ohio Cooperatives Infographic
Key Roles of Members in Ohio Cooperatives
Quick Summary: Ohio’s Cooperative Law (Ohio Revised Code 1729)
Our team was very active and traveled many miles this year, all while presenting and educating, learning and gaining further knowledge to grow cooperative skills for everyone. You may have seen us on the road presenting at the 2024 Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) 45th Annual Conference, a three-part series in Gallia County presenting Business Basics for Profits and Non-Profits, hosting high school juniors and seniors for our annual Youth Cooperative Leadership Experience program, or exploring the possibilities of the 2024 ACE (Association of Cooperative Educators) Institute Conference held in Mandan, North Dakota and an afternoon of Food and Farm Marketing in Meigs County.
In addition to the travel our team saw this year, we hosted and took part in many more virtual events. One of our highest attended and most popular events, AI Applications and Risks for Co-ops, was presented virtually by the experts at Nationwide and Growmark, Inc. on May 29th. Artificial Intelligence is all the buzz across the world, in all forms of life, with agricultural joining the ranks exploring the new technology to help create more operational efficiencies and cost savings. However, exploring this complex space can be daunting and intimidating. This presentation takes a deeper dive into the ways the teams at Nationwide and Growmark are implementing these tools and strategies. A recording of the program along with audio transcript are available via Zoom, where users will be asked to register to view the recording to help us track the reach and impact of the session. Feel free to share the recording link with your colleagues!
We also took a closer look at worker cooperatives with Casa Nueva team, Phat Daddy’s On Da Tracks Octavia Cordon, and Mavery Davis with New Economy Works. Worker cooperatives are becoming a popular form of the cooperative business model and generating more attention these days. This session explores rewards and challenges of operating a worker cooperative with the folks in rural Appalachia that keep the doors open each day. To view this program recording in full please click here.
Looking back on the great programing and instruction this past year propels us to strongly move forward into the new year. Our Center will again team up with the OSU Direct Food and Agriculture Marketing and the Small Business Development Center to kick off the year with another great session of Food and Farm Marketing Basics in Lancaster. The event will be held on January 8th from noon to 3:00 pm at the Fairfield County Agricultural Center. To register for this event CLICK HERE.
Thank you for joining us this year, we look forward to collaborating with you in 2025!