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2006-2007 MONTANA FARMERS UNION POLICIES
Cooperative Policy
Cooperation is a guidepost of
the Farmers Union, sharing the organization's
triangle with education and legislation.
- Support patron-owned, democratically
controlled cooperatives, built on the
principle of one person, one vote, with
distribution of savings in direct
proportion to patronage.
- Cooperative endeavor is a legitimate
and logical extension enabling farmers
to take their operations into the
marketplace and allowing individual
producers to realize the benefits
generated by their production through
the sale, processing and ultimate
purchase by the consumer.
- Because cooperatives are our
business, it is imperative that Farmers
Union members actively support and
participate in their local and regional
cooperatives.
- Support efforts and services keyed
to cooperative principles which are
provided by CHS, Inc.,
Farmers Union Marketing and Processing
Association, Farmers Union Insurance,
Rural Electric Cooperatives, Rural
Telephone Associations, Farm Credit
Services, Credit Unions, Bank for
Cooperatives, Council of Cooperatives,
irrigation districts, grazing districts
and other cooperatives in the state.
- Educate the general public as to the
important role of cooperatives in
economic systems.
- Establish and continue a positive
and aggressive approach to cooperative
education, and philosophy for Farmers
Union members.
- Emphasize the need to select
cooperative directors who understand and
are loyal to the ideas of cooperative
business principles.
- Be ready to work with cooperatives,
both local and regional, in educating
employees, directors and patrons in
cooperative philosophy.
- Stand ready to assume or contribute
leadership in the development of
cooperatives in new fields, i.e.
alternative energy developments, barley
products, forestry, food, health,
feedlots, farm machinery ownership,
artificial insemination, and oil seed
processing, to name a few.
- Establish a task force composed of
young farmers and ranchers to suggest
ways to involve young people in
cooperatives.
- Urge MFU and NFU explore the
possibilities of using the Internet to
build a network between family farmers
and consumers to enhance direct
marketing and exchange vital information
on products, nutrition, safety and
environmental concerns.
- Urge all local supply cooperatives
to market ethanol fuels.
- Initiate cooperative camps,
conferences and seminars with other
cooperative enterprises.
- We respectfully request that all
farm local and regional supply and
marketing cooperatives continue/resume
paying education funds to MFU for
further cooperative education.
- Establish and maintain a method of
accountability in expenditure of
educational funds.
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