Rural communities need innovative young entrepreneurs and effective tools to develop them. The cooperative business model is a promising opportunity. Cooperatives are owned and controlled by their users and provide benefits to their users, often by returning their financial surplus to user-owners. Co-ops can be avenues for reaching new markets and realizing efficiencies. Cooperatives contribute to the economic viability of their members. While only 3-5% of standard corporations are still operating five years after their start-up, more than 90% of cooperatives continue operating past this point. 

Cooperatives are an important part of the agribusiness sector in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, agricultural co-ops in the United States had 1.89 million voting members in 2017 with a total gross business volume of $197.1 billion. Enhancing students’ knowledge of cooperatives will help them to better understand the agricultural supply chain to prepare them for career opportunities in agribusiness.

From small food co-ops to multi-state agricultural co-ops, cooperatives have a significant economic impact on rural and urban communities. Let’s start learning about the cooperative business model! 

*Cooperative Model Video Transcript

Visit Co-op Mastery: Beyond Cooperatives 101 to learn about the cooperative business model, co-op history, finance, legislation, and the formation of new cooperatives.

Here are some ideas to incorporate the Youth Cooperative Leadership Experience into your classroom or youth activity:

• On Co-op Mastery, check out the Cooperative Model topics on Cooperative Functions, Cooperative Benefits, and Cooperative Principles. 
• Complete Page 3 of the Co-op Mastery Workbook (see below for information and ordering) – Principles of Cooperation. You can use the map below to find a co-op in our state for this activity!  
• Review Business Models 101 on Page 21 and complete the activity on Page 20.

The CFAES Center for Cooperatives Co-op Mastery Workbook includes activities appropriate for learners in high school, college, and beyond. The 48-page workbook includes puzzles, examples, and activities that encourage learners to apply the concepts in Co-op Mastery. Contact the CFAES Center for Cooperatives at osucooperatives@osu.edu for more information about accessing digital or hard copy versions of the Co-op Mastery Workbook. 

Explore Cooperatives in Ohio

There are more than 450 cooperatives in Ohio, with more than 1,000 co-op locations. Use the map below created by the CFAES Center for Cooperatives to explore Ohio’s cooperative community. Learn more about Ohio’s cooperatives.

View the Ohio Cooperatives map in your browser.