Cooperative development workshop offered
October 4, 2011
907-474-5406
10/4/11
A free workshop on developing cooperatives will be offered Oct. 13 in Anchorage.
The workshop will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University of Alaska Anchorage Gorsuch Commons. Co-sponsors include the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Meredith Rafferty of the Northwest Cooperative Development Center in Olympia, Wash., will be the featured speaker. She is known for her work with online cooperatives and is the author of “Starting an Online, Local Food Co-op” and “Idaho’s Bounty — Online Local Food Co-op.”
A representative from the Fairbanks Community Cooperative Market and Beth Rhoads from the Alaskans Own community supported fishery program also will discuss their businesses. The Fairbanks Community Cooperative Market is a grocery store that is being established by member-owners to serve the Fairbanks area. Alaskans Own is a subscription program that offers locally caught seafood to Sitka residents and hopes to expand.
Workshop organizer Andrew Crow, cooperative program manager for the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development, said a cooperative is a business owned and controlled by the people who use its services. Some operate as nonprofits and others as for-profit organizations, with any profit going back to the membership.
The Gorsuch Commons is located at 3700 Sharon Gagnon Lane. Workshop preregistration is requested. For registration information or questions, contact Andrew Crow at 907-786-5447 or anacc@uaa.alaska.edu or Tony Nakazawa at 907-460-0825 or atnakazawa@alaska.edu.
DC/10-04-11/083-12