This document discusses supporting co-operatives in New Brunswick. It provides an overview of the co-operative business model, including how it differs from traditional business models in its purpose, ownership structure, and decision-making process. Examples are given of successful food and agriculture co-ops in the region, such as the Quinte Organic Farmers Co-op and Just Us! Coffee Roasters. The steps for starting a new co-op are outlined, and resources are listed for organizations supporting co-op development.

1. Supporting and strengthening co-operatives in NB
The Co-operative Business Model

2. LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
 To
understand
the
co-­‐opera=ve
business
model
and
its
difference
from
other
business
models
 To
iden=fy
the
different
types
of
CSA
and
direct
marke=ng
co-­‐ops
in
North
America
 To
understand
the
steps
involved
in
star=ng
a
co-­‐op

3. AGENDA
 Intro
 What
is
a
co-­‐opera=ve?
 How
is
a
co-­‐opera=ve
different
from
other
business
models?
 Examples
of
CSA
and
direct
marke=ng
co-­‐ops
 How
to
start
a
co-­‐op.
 Ques=ons

4. GETTING
TO
KNOW
THE
ROOM
 Who
is
currently
a
member
of
a
producer
or
food
related
co-­‐op?
 Who
is
currently
on
a
board
of
a
co-­‐op?
 Who
is
interested
in
star=ng
a
co-­‐op?
 Who
is
curious
about
what
a
co-­‐op
is?

5. WHAT
DO
YOU
THINK
OF
WHEN
YOU
HEAR
THE
WORD
CO-­‐OP?

6. CO-­‐OPS
IN
NB

7. WHAT
IS
THE
DIFFERENCE?

8. THE
CO-­‐OPERATIVE
DIFFERENCE
Structure
Co-­‐opera-ve
Business
Private
Enterprise/
Corporate
Enterprises
Purpose
To
meet
the
social,
cultural,
Profit
for
owner
/
shareholders
on
environmental,
and
economic
investment
of
=me
or
money.
needs
of
the
members.
Maximize
shareholder
profit.
Ownership
By
Members
By
Owner
/
Shareholders
Profits
Profits
remain
within
co-­‐
opera=ve
to
build
the
business,
surpluses
are
paid
to
members,
and
stay
in
the
community.
Profits
remain
within
the
business
to
build
the
business,
surpluses
are
paid
to
owner
/
shareholders
through
dividends,
and
may
or
may
not
stay
in
the
community.
Decision
Making
One
Member-­‐One
Vote
The
number
of
vo=ng
shares
held
per
shareholder.

9. QUINTE
ORGANIC
FARMERS
CO-­‐OP
hZp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIwhX6jKWuw

10. hZp://www.coopscanada.coop/en/orphan/Featured-­‐
Resources-­‐from-­‐the-­‐Ag-­‐CDI-­‐Program/Co-­‐ops-­‐in-­‐Value-­‐
Added-­‐Agriculture-­‐-­‐-­‐Video-­‐Series/The-­‐Governance-­‐of-­‐Co-­‐

11.  A
Co-­‐op
of
producers

30
farmers
from
South
East
NB
 Mission

Promote
the
development
of
sustainable
agriculture
in
southeastern
New
Brunswick.
 Manage
the
Dieppe
Farmers
Market

12. JUST
US!
COFFEE
ROASTERS
 Wolfville,
NS
 Worker
Co-­‐op
Coffee
Roasters
 Cafés
 CEDIF

13. From CSA to Multifarm CSA:
The Story of Local Harvest
I don’t think we could have skipped over those hard early
years. The only way to get around that is to have a single
leader who makes all the decisions. That would not have
been a true cooperative. So, looking back, I’m glad that we
spent a year coming up with the paperwork and making rough
plans, and also feel that the first three or four years of
“discussion” have paid off. Now, we have all agreed and
bought into the system that we have created, and we all have
a sense of ownership. That has been the glue that has held
us together.
—Dave Trumble

14. HOW
TO
GET
STARTED?
1.
Assemble
a
group
of
interested
people

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Iden=fy
needs
Conduct
a
pre-­‐feasibility
study
Hold
an
organizing
mee=ng
Conduct
a
feasibility
study
Organize
the
associa=on
Organize
the
enterprise
Hold
ini=al
general
mee=ng

15. RESOURCES
 hZp://www.coopscanada.coop/assets/firefly/files/files/
The_Lay_of_the_Land_Final_June_16_2009.pdf
 Looking
at
CSA
from
a
co-­‐opera=ve
prospec=ve
hZp://agmarke=ng.extension.psu.edu/ComFarmMkt/
PDFs/local_harvest_csa.pdf
 BC
Co-­‐op
Associa=on
–
Food
Hub
Co-­‐ops
hZp://bcca.coop/foodhub
 Family
Farm
based
marke=ng
co-­‐ops
hZp://beyondfactoryfarming.org/build-­‐alterna=ves/
distribu=on/family-­‐farm-­‐based-­‐marke=ng-­‐co-­‐opera=ves

16. QUESTIONS?